GYTISUS, DAHLIAS 345 



CYTISUS (GENISTA RAGEMOSA) 



The Genistas when covered with golden-yellow pea-shaped flowers 

 with a delicate odor, are hard to beat as show plants. But this is only 

 in the cool greenhouse; hi a hot, dry room their beauty is soon gone 

 and the floor is covered with wilted blossoms inside of two or three days. 



Genistas are best when allowed to come along and flower in 

 the coldhouse where the temperature is about 45 deg. During the 

 Winter months they can stand this or even 40 deg. When in flower, 

 they often are at Easter what the Cincinnati Begonias are around 

 Christmas just a solid sheet of beautiful blossoms. But those 

 who buy them really buy cut flowers, for there is no lasting to them. 



You can carry on the plants left over from Easter for another 

 year. Repot them, shear them back a little, carry them along 

 outdoors during Summer with their pots sunk into the ground up 

 to the rim, bring them in again about October, keep them in a cold- 

 house and you will have some fine large specimens loaded anew 

 with flowers. 



Root cuttings in February with a little bottom heat, grow them 

 on in pots, keep them shifted and, if desired, shear or pinch 

 them up to December, when they should be left alone so as to 

 develop graceful flowering wood. (For illustration see page 377.) 



DAHLIAS 



Where Dahlias do well one doesn't need much in the way of cultural 



directions ; and where they don't do well all the cultural notes in the 



country won't help you much. 



My experience with Dahlias has proved to me that while I 

 have seen wonderful flowers and plants covered with them, both 

 East and West, grown successfully by both trained gardeners and 

 those who didn't know the first thing about growing them, plants 

 grown from dormant tubers set out in the field and others grown 

 from cuttings won't amount to anything five seasons out of six 

 around Chicago. Whether we planted them in light soil or heavy, 

 early or late, kept them wet or dry, all we were able to tell about 

 even the best novelties was what the labels alongside the plants said. 



This much is sure: that you must have a suitable climate if 

 you want them to bloom. The finest Dahlias I have ever seen 

 were in Oregon, Washington, Victoria, B. C. and San Mateo, 

 California. Out of those collections of hundreds of varieties it 

 seemed as if every one was good. Throughout the East and 

 even in parts of the Middle West as well as the North, Dahlias 

 are among the most showy of Summer and Fall flowers. Certain 

 sorts do better in one place than another. Those who can grow them 



